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TÁNAISTE EAMON GILMORE has said today that the figure for medical card review, which could lead to cuts, is still the one that was set out in the Budget.
In an interview with RTÉ at the Labour Annual Conference, Gilmore was asked about reports today in the Sunday Independent that the €113m target for medical card cuts had been slashed by more than €40m.
Gilmore said that the overall saving in the health budget was €666m, and that the amount to be saved on medical cards is “the amount that was set down in the Budget”.
He added that the HSE has drawn up a draft service plan which is currently before the Minister for Health, James Reilly. Reilly is due to present this to the government.
Gilmore stated that the government is working to deal with the issue of medical cards, and the problems related to the issue of discretionary medical cards.
The Tánaiste was also asked about the issue at a media conference in Killarney a short time later:
Top-up payments
On the subject of top-up payments, the Tánaiste said that he and the Taoiseach Enda Kenny had reduced their salaries and those of the staff that work for them.
They have also set down pay guidelines for State-funded agencies, who are expected to abide by them. Those that don’t comply could see certain measures used against them, such as a reduction in State funding.
Gilmore added that he doesn’t intend that there will be exceptions to the guidelines.
Recovery
Of the so-called ‘squeezed middle’, Gilmore said the government “have to make sure that the recovery succeeds”, and that the first priority is jobs.
“We need to do more to ensure that jobs are created for young people,” he said.
He said that “we don’t want to go back to the situation where people who benefit from economic recovery” are a “small handful of property developers” and they “want to see recovery is for those people whose sacrifices made recovery possible”.
When asked about the prospect of a tax break for the squeezed middle, Gilmore wasn’t drawn on a specific type of break, but said that “as the finances of the country improve I would like to be in a position, and the government be in the position, to lift the burden of taxation somewhat on working families”.
He said that would be in this term of Government if possible.
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The most interesting thing I heard today was Peter Mandelson being interviewed with Nigel Lawson on BBC Radio 4′s Today programme. He said that he only met her once after he was appointed Secretary for Northern Ireland.
She came up to him and said “You cannot trust the Irish. They are all liars. Just do not forget it.”
If true it says a lot about Thatcher. I say if true, after all it was Peter Mandelson.
If she was referring to the politicians (most likely as they were the only irish she would have dealt with), could anyone disagree?
In the same interview, he also said
“Lord Mandelson, one of the central architects of New Labour, has criticised the scale of the funeral but accepted the Iron Lady “reframed British politics”.
“I think what she was right to do was to bring home to us the reality that Britain could not afford rampant inflation, that state monopolies needed commercialising, that personal tax rates were too high and that enterprise was too unrewarding,” he said.
“She was also right to argue that deregulation can be a valuable spur to innovation and efficiency and of course she tackled what was then a very disruptive and irresponsible trade union culture.
“But the truth is also that in cutting back the state necessarily, she overlooked what the state can also do successfully.”
She was referring to Haughey and his ilk. To suggest CJH was untrustworthy. God forbid!
We’ve all made our opinions one way or another over the week. Time to move on….she gone!
No but her policies are more alive than ever. Thats what i think most people have an issue with.
Agreed, but she’s gone..
man, cameron has a beor of a wife
Ye would never think she’s had four kids….homina homina.
My hate for her has died with her.
Seemed pretty dignified to me
A charade foisted on the British people. A unique opportunity for the Establishment to exert their authority over the common man. The usual plethora of people dressed in funny hats, wigs and medieval garb. It seemed fitting that the chief mourner was a convicted criminal and the church had the required smattering of right wing politicians, homophobics and reactionaries. Wonder what the old queen said to Philip as the coffin passed her by? She didn’t seem too happy with the whole shebang. Anyway, as someone said above, it’s over and as the incumbent government has not experienced the Thatcher bounce, hopefully Thatcherism, which has blighted so many people’s lives has heard its death knell.
We’ve literally heard the death knell but Cameron and his cohorts are attempting to outdo her.
Surely the best way to protest the iron lady’s funeral would be to show up with a giant magnet?
Yeeeeeugh – a monster.
A who’s who of war criminals and tyrants attended. Solve a lot of the worlds problems by sending half of the people there with her.
They can’t all be like sunshine and ice cream like El Comandante Hugo Chavez now can they?
Chavez a war criminal amd tyrant?? Good one. Come back 2 me when u know what the f**k ur talking about.
300,000 dead people. He killed them. The man was a tyrant.
Explain how he killed 300,000 people ?
You should say PINOCHET instead
I think the initial hype of the hatred towards her has faded during the week and these “rot in hell” people have become tiresome. She’s dead and that it end if story!
Margaret Thatcher is dead,when did this happen ???
Everyone will come, everyone will come
To her funeral to make sure that she stays dead
Everyone will come, everyone will come
To her funeral to make sure that she stays dead, dead DEAD
(Marilyn Manson – Rusted Horses )
Does anybody know who was invitied from Ireland?
Ruairí Quinn I think….
Go dté tú Slán
“There was twice as many security as mourners with some 4,000 police officers deployed at the event”
250,000 people turned out to mourn and pay their respects [ plus a handful of misfits].
The unattended crowd barriers (photo 2) would remind you of a certain other individual’s funeral…. closer to home?? Maybe they’ll be comparing turnout figures tonight…
have your say